It
has been quite a memorable 45th anniversary for the Syracuse
University Rugby Alumni. Let’s build on this momentum and bring a 45th
anniversary alumni squad to compete at Saranac this summer. Those of you who
have played before, I am sure that you need only a minor nudge to commit again.
For those who we have not seen in the past few years, please call up your
buddies and book a room. If you need help with any of that, contact me (msutton52@gmail.com). I hope to get the
players on an email list so we can coordinate our travel. It was 2012 that we
won the social division so it is time to step up in the club bracket and put on
a show in the final match of the weekend.

We
have a competitive team entered in the open men’s division. Games will be
played on Saturday (August 1) and continue to Sunday (August 2). We are lining
up a party open to Syracuse area rugby alumni, likely for Saturday night. More
information will follow to the team email list. Since we could not reserve a
spot for the social division, we are only entering 1 team this year. Although
playing time is not guaranteed, roster depth (especially in the front row) is
vital to our success. If you end up wishing for additional playing time, we
trust that you will make up for it with the endless list of events over the
weekend. If you play competitive front row in the tournament, rewards will be
provided to show our appreciation.

Accommodations
can be booked at hotels or campgrounds in or near Lake Placid and Saranac Lake.
Note that hotel room rates are high so get a group together and split rooms as
necessary.

I hope 2015 is treating you
well, and you’ve got an eventful summer planned.

With the 45th anniversary
celebration in our rearview mirrors, the Syracuse University Rugby Alumni
Association is ramping up its annual fundraising campaign.

Rugby is continuing to explode
across the country, and the upcoming Olympics are expected to bring interest to
an all-time high.

What does that mean for our beloved
Hammerheads you ask???

Increased competition due to more
opponents with increasingly more resources! For example, we’ve just learned
that Oswego State University has received a $30,000 annual budget for the
upcoming 2015/16 rugby season.

While Syracuse University has
continued to increase its support (projected at $3,000-$4,000 next year), there
are unfortunate limitations that prevent them from funding club sports
differently, regardless of their tenure at the university, the legitimacy of
their sport, and ability to put Syracuse University in front of a national
audience (NBC College 7’s Championship for example).

Believe it or not, there is a
Quidditch club that receives equal funding. No offense to any Harry Potter
lovers, but this is absurd.

I plan on personally working with
the Alumni Association to leverage our contacts to discuss greater support for
the S.U.R.F.C. from the University. This will be a lengthy process, with no
guarantee of additional funding from the University. In the meantime, we
must continue our annual efforts to raise funds to help bridge the gap of
financial support between our program and others around the country, and even
in our backyard.

No amount is too small to help out,
and as discussed at the 45th Banquet, if every player that kitted up
for S.U. were to donate $20, we’d more than triple our best fundraising year
ever!

The problem is, we don’t have
everyone’s contact info!

I’m asking each and every one of you
to do two things:

1.Make a donation of whatever amount
you’re able to spare

2.Reach out to 3 people [preferably
some that you know aren’t connected with the SURAA yet] and encourage them to
re-engage socially and or financially. Use this link to add/update your contact
information: http://www.surugbyalumni.com/ALUMNI-DIRECTORY

We must grow our circle of supporters, and continue to
ramp up our support to ensure that rugby at Syracuse University continues its
proud tradition for another 45+ years!

Wow,
what a memorable 45th banquet for the SURFC on May 2nd. The venue at Drumlins
included a large outdoor patio. The memorabilia tables were full of many
newspaper articles and pictures of the history of the club. The food was
plentiful and good, as was the open bar.

The
70 attendees gave standing ovations to the honourees Fred Greenaway and Roger
Sinta. Fred gave a historical perspective of the club in the seventies. Linking
those years to the club formation, through to the present club. He
gave a great description of the accomplishments during those years and
commended the club for its continued embracing of the "spirit" that
the SURFC has maintained throughout the decades of its existence.

Roger
started his presentation with an informative biblical description of the
origins of the game of Rugby. He presented some photo-shopped pictures with
colorful descriptions of the players of the early teams of the seventies which
included many toasts. Roger specifically mentioned Peter Smith as an
aspirational player from the 70's.

Bob
Wilson gave a brief update of the current squad and what they have accomplished
and how they fared in their new league.

Ties,
polo shirts, and hoodies with the SURFC logos were available for sale. Some
are left over and can be purchased at: https://squareup.com/market/matt-sutton Pictures
of the festivities can be seen at SURAA's Facebook page.

The Board of
Directors would like to dedicate the 45th Anniversary to two of the
greatest alumni; Roger Sinta and Fred Greenaway.

The above photo is an article from the 1978 yearbook mentioning
both of these accomplished alumni. Roger is pictured in a ‘rare anxious moment
on the sidelines.’ We will honor both Roger and Fred at the banquet at Drumlins
on May 2. Please take this time to reserve your seat by filling out this form: http://www.surugbyalumni.com/home/45TH-ANNIVERSARYAND mail a $60 (per person) check
made out to “SURAA” to Treasurer Mark Lowery or make a $60 (per person) payment
via PayPal on the left side of page at www.surugbyalumni.com. A check can be made out to ‘SURAA’ and mailed to 300
Malberta Road, Syracuse, NY 13219.

The message below is not brief but there is a lot of
important information so please take the time to read and respond as necessary.

45th Anniversary

We are approaching the 45th anniversary of rugby at Syracuse
University. If you remember the good time that you had at the 40th, it is time
to do it again. If you were not at the 40th, then this is our time to have a
more formal event in celebration of the club’s historic past. The weekend is
May 1-3. There are a multitude of events to allow you to catch up with old
friends and celebrate. These events include:

The returning players began to convene on August 15th
in preparation for a 10 day preseason camp. Several preseason scrimmages
included SUNY Albany, Queens University, Ontario, St. Bonaventure and Le Moyne.
The camp also included coaching sessions from expert coaches Guillermo (Gui)
Gulli and Luke Gross from USA Rugby. Gui is a specialist in the scrum and maul
aspects and has helped maintain a high standard of performance in these areas
over several years. Luke Gross is the USA Rugby High Performance Manager, who
oversees the national team coaches and we were very fortunate to get his expert
input into the ruck and Line out. Alumni donations fund these coaching inputs,
which have become more and more valuable in the increasingly competitive
environment of college rugby. Thank you.

The league season was always going to be a challenge after
the loss of 14 seniors and the challenge was compounded by additional injuries
that led to 29 different players selected for the First XV. S.U. finished 3rd
in the league (3 and 3) and so just missed out on the play-offs. Spirits were
lifted as the young team improved and ended on a good win away at Colgate. The
club had robust recruitment resulting in some promising new players and a total
squad of 60+. The Second XV were a dominant force in their league, which augurs
well for the future.

For the second spring in row we will be putting out both
Sevens Squad and a Fifteens Team in order to get in as much playing time as
possible in the hopes of pushing into the play-off spots for next season.

In 2013, SU and Brockport alumni assembled on Randall’s
Island in NYC to play a ‘Scrum for Cancer’ rugby game with fundraising efforts
that support the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The effort is once again
being made to host this game in 2015. June 6, 2015 at Aardvark Park in
Rochester, NY is penciled in as the time and location. Please click the link
below to receive additional information as the details are finalized.

The A team has been entered into the Men’s division at
Saranac Lake. We would like to play competitive rugby at both events. Please
make an effort to be a part of the 45th Anniversary SU Rugby Team.

Cardiff, Wales will be hosting the 21st Golden Oldies Rugby
Festival on August 21st - 28th, 2016.
SURFC alum John Mauro and his wife, Dolores, have been to several of
these, and he is putting together a team to go to Wales from Central New
York. These festivals are attended by
over 4,000 players from all over the world, and the main emphasis is on fun.

All area rugby old boys, including SURFC alums, are invited
to come. If you are at all interested,
and would like to be put on a list to receive more details, contact John at jmauro3@twcny.rr.com. The team would enter either the average age
over 45, or over 55, depending on the players who sign up. The minimum age is 35. It will be a great time in one of the true
rugby capitals of the world.

One way or another – sometime or somehow - we’ve all been affected by cancer. Whether it’s through a teammate, a friend, a family member, or maybe even you, we’ve all felt the impact that cancer makes when it shows its destructive head into our lives. The Hammerheads Alumni are now lacing up our boots, strapping on our scrum caps, and stepping onto the pitch to face cancer head on! We’re binding together with The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) in their mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease, and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families. On Saturday June 15th, we Scrum For Cancer!

Scrum For Cancer is a charity rugby match that benefits The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. On Saturday June 15 2013, the alumni sides from Syracuse University and SUNY Brockport rugby teams will scrum down in a friendly match on Randall’s Island in New York City. The Hammerheads and Doggies will battle each other for 80 minutes on the pitch that day, but will also work together over the coming weeks to raise money for The LLS. More importantly, the Hammerheads, Doggies, and The LLS are teaming up, and forming a maul, to raise awareness of blood cancers and the continuing need for quality patient support services, research funding, and advancements in medical treatments that are provide by The LLS.

Each Hammerhead Alumni team member is encouraged to raise money for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society through our team’s Scrum For Cancer fundraising website. The Hammerhead’s Scrum For Cancer fundraising website allows team members and supporters to reach out to their personal networks, to share their story on how blood cancers have impacted their life, and ask their friends & families to donate to The LLS. So please, tell everyone you know – your coworkers, friends, family members, professional and social networks – that you’re playing in a charity rugby match to cure cancer! Tell everyone you know, and ask for their support in making a donation! These individual donations are necessary for The LLS to continue accelerating the research and development of new life saving medications and therapies.

Donations can also be made via cash and check if people prefer. Please tell your supporters to make checks payable to “The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society”, and to please write “Scrum For Cancer Syracuse” in the memo line of the check. Then mail donations to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at the address below:

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society – NYC Chapter

ATTN: Sarah Gowrie – Scrum For Cancer

61 Broadway, Suite 400

New York, NY 10006

Brockport will also have a fundraising site, but we can’t let The Doggies raise more money than us! So be sure to spread the word and get people to donate in support of The Hammerheads Scrum For Cancer.

Both teams have been touched by blood cancers in one way or another. Now it’s our turn to give back to the organization that does so much to help our friends and family members who are affected by blood cancers. Through our communal love of rugby, we hope to raise money and spread the word about patient support services, ground breaking research, and how blood cancers have affected our rugby communities.

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is the world's largest voluntary (nonprofit) health organization dedicated to funding blood cancer research and providing education and patient services. The LLS is funding impactful research, from discoveries to new treatment approvals, that is helping blood cancer patients live better, longer lives. Many blood cancer advances are cross-cutting, also helping patients with different cancers, solid tumors, and other serious diseases. To learn more about The LLS, please visit http://www.lls.org/somedayistoday/.

If you have a story that you’d like to share, a reason why you Scrum For Cancer, or if you’re playing in honor or memory of someone with blood cancer, please let me know. I’m happy to share your stories, photos, and reasons why you Scrum For Cancer!

Winter is more than half over, taxes are being filed and tax returns deposited in bank accounts so there could not be a better time to start the 2013 fundraising campaign. Last year, we saw our greatest amount of contributions for the fundraising campaign and brought in nearly $5,000. This money was spent to support a preseason camp, player equipment and to reimburse coaching expenses. We would like to set this year’s goal at $6,000. The SURFC is now competing in an expanded Division 1 Empire Rugby Conference. Part of playing at this level in the conference requires that the club support a spring 7’s team. The increased success demands an increased budget for the club. If we can continue the successful fundraising, then the team and the coaches can focus on training and fitness. Note that the SURAA shares the fundraising information with SU to show how important the SURFC has been to so many alumni and friends.

If you would like to continue your support, or become a new supporter please send your check made out to the SURAA to:

Mark Lowery c/o SURAA

300 Walberta Road

Syracuse, NY 13219

or use PayPal on the website www.surugbyalumni.com. We suggest contribution levels of $50, $75, $100 or more.

Donations are welcome year round; however our goal is to have all 2013 donations received by the end of the Spring Semester so we can coordinate next year’s budget with the current club officers before they leave for the summer.

The final score was Brockport 29, Syracuse 21. Another tough loss by yet another single-digit margin. Hard fought and well played by both teams.

Tries: Raf Stitt, Nick Brown

Conversion: Alex Hodgkinson, 1/2

Penalties: Alex Hodgkinson, 3/3

Syracuse falls to 3-4 and Brockport moves up to 5-2-1.If there's any silver lining... USMMA has officially forfeited next Saturday's match so Syracuse will go into Sunday's match against first place Army with a 4-4 record.

There are only 43 days until the November 17th, 2012 Alumni Game. To make this weekend a little more special, it is the 30th Syracuse Rugby Alumni Game. Save the date and make your hotel reservations before they are all booked. Details of the game will follow as we get closer to the date.

For SURFC news and to add your name to the SURAA directory and visit www.surugbyalumni.com. The club is off to an excellent start to the season. With a difficult beginning of the season, the team is now 2-1 losing only to the 2011 conference champions. There are still 7 games left to play with a lot of travel. Visit http://www.surugbyalumni.com/CALENDAR to find the nearest match to attend.

For the fourth straight year the Syracuse Alumni Association has entered a side at the Can-Am Games in Saranac Lake/Lake Placid. Competing in a side of mostly men’s club that play together year round, the Alumni side had its greatest turnout yet and had over 30 guys suited up in Orange and Blue. I’m pleased to announce that this year’s side, made up of 95% alumni and 5% current players,SURAA posted a 5-0 record and took 1st place in the 32 team social division. A game by game recap is below:

Saturday Recap

SURAA- 52 Def. Framingam- 0

SURAA got off to a great start making short work of Framingham.The pack dominated allowing for clean ball out to our backline who ran free.

SURAA-31 Def. Montclair-25

SURAA played perhaps its toughest opponent in the second game on Saturday fighting off a late surge by a formidable Montclair team.

SURAA- 32Def. Hudson Valley- 5

SURAA, sensing they were destined for a second day of competition finished the day strong and overmatched an undermanned yet agressive Hudson Valley Team.

Sunday Recap

Championship Semifinal

SURAA-29 Def. Hartford-13

Sunday, brought a new day of challenges and despite a wildly successful Old Boys party the night before, SURAA showed up ready to go and jumped all over Hartford in the first 15 minutes and then cruised through the remainder of the match.

Championship Match

SURAA- 14 Def. Father & Sons- 12

SURAA faced a tough and physical opponent in the Championship match and were trailing most of the second half.SURAA Captain Zach Levek converted Team MVP Dave Bliss’ try with no time on the clock sealing the win.

Special thanks to Bob Wilson for bringing together a group of guys and getting us to play as a team so quickly.Thanks to Matt Sutton for organizing everything, and Greg Fehrman for his continued presence at Saranac; handling all of the festivities.Thanks to Rich Galina for working so hard to get people to honor their commitment and show up.

We have already registered a side for next year’s tournament, and encourage all Alumni to come out and join us next year to play or cheer us on!The dates for the Can-Am Games have been posted online for the next ten years so you can plan ahead!Our goal in the next year or two is to enter two sides, one in the social division, and one in the club side.We’re also looking into holding a practice [GASP!] the Thursday night or Friday afternoon before hand so please stay tuned, and reach out to Matt Sutton (msutton52@gmail.com) if you’re interested in attending.All players are welcome!

After a tough 32-18 loss to the defending conference champs two weeks ago, and a bye last week, the Hammerheads were set to host Iona College on Saturday at Hookway Field.The roster looked quite different for the Hammerheads, with four starters missing from the forward pack due to injury and personal reasons.With several players starting in their first Divison I game, it was an uphill battle for the entire 80 minutes.

Syracuse played from behind for the entire match, committing nearly twice as many penalties as Iona throughout the first half and finding themselves in a 10 point hole through 40 minutes.Tough defense, the ability to not give up the "big play" that occurred against Stony Brook, and a tremendous advantage in the kicking game kept the Hammerheads within reach throughout.

After 70 minutes, Syracuse climbed back from the halftime deficit to find themselves trailing by only 1.With 6 minutes to go, Iona committed a penalty just inside their own half of the field - a lengthy and questionable distance for any sort of penalty kick.But freshman flyhalf, Alex Hodgkinson insisted on giving the kick a shot and wound up splitting the uprights to give Syracuse a 2 point lead.After the final few contentious minutes of defense, the whistle blew, and Syracuse had upset last season's conference runners-up, 34-32.Syracuse now moves to 2-1 on the season, as Iona falls back to 2-1 as well.Syracuse will host Binghamton University next week at Hookway before going on the road for the next 4 matches.

The Hammerheads fell to defending league champions Stoney Brook University, 32-18, in a hard fought effort. It was a good effort, and SURFC brought the game to a 20-18 dog fight with 5 minutes to go in the game before two last minute tries put the game away for the Seawolves.

In the opening game of the 2012 season, the Syracuse Hammerheads faced off against Empire Rugby Conference newcomers, Rutgers University. Rutgers dropped down from the Collegiate Premier League after a disappointing 2011 campaign, and immediately caught the attention of the national press as a pre-season favorite in the ERC. Brockport put an end to that belief on Saturday, September 8th, with a 59-0 victory. The next day Rutgers drove to Lower Hookway for the second leg of their Central NY road trip.

After a sloppy first few minutes to the match, the Hammerheads got their feet under them and the game turned into a track meet shortly after. Leading the scoring for the SURFC was freshman fly half, Alex Hodgkinson, who scored one try, one penalty kick, and converted 6/9 tries. Junior winger, John Wilson, was right behind Hodgkinson with three tries.

Despite the 60-12 victory, the Hammerheads still managed to struggle with penalties and handling throughout the 80 minutes, an issue that head coach, Bob Wilson, has stressed will be difficult to get away with against more stronger opponents. The next test will be this Saturday against defending conference champions, Stony Brook University, who opened their 2012 season with a 51-14 victory over the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

Rounding out the rest of the scoring for the Hammerheads were senior winger, Jon Razzano (2 tries), and a try each for senior fullback, Shaun Loughlin, junior center, Raf Stitt, and junior prop, Phil Groden.

Dear Alumni,We have had our best fundraising year to date! While we did not meet the challenge offered us, through the great generosity of thirty-three of our members and motivation by a fundraising challenge by one individual we were able to raise $4,546.99. Compared to last year when we raised $2,150 with one individual giving the SURFC an additional $1,500. We have made great strides to help the current team and its coaches. For those of you who have not gotten around to donate, we will gladly accept donations during the remainder of the year. You may donate on our web site via paypal (www.surugbyalumni.com) or you may send your check to:

Mark Lowery c/o SURAA 300 Walberta Road Syracuse, NY 13219

Some of the money fundraised will go to support the guest coach for the SURFC preseason camp. Coach Peter Baggetta will visit SU from 8/19-8/21 and provide guidance on team defense with instruction for individual skills.

For the 3rd year in a row the SU Rugby Alumni have entered a team in the social bracket of the Can Am Rugby tournament. This year’s team sports a bit more depth with the potential for more than 30 players. Both Alumni and current players have come together to form a competitive team.

The Syracuse Old Boys will play on Friday (July 28th), SURAA and the new for 2012 SWAT (Syracuse Women's Alumnae Team) will start their games on Saturday (July 29th). Finals will be played on Sunday (July 30th). The Syracuse Rugby teams are hosting a party at Captain Cooks on Saturday at 7:00pm. You are welcome to attend, there will be a cover charge to get in but the raffle prizes will not disappoint.

The following is a list of SU Rugby Alumni who plan to be in Saranac for the tournament. Contact Matt Sutton (msutton52@gmail.com) or Tim Koes (tehoes@syr.edu) with questions or cancellations. All are invited to support the team in another successful year of Can-Am Rugby:

Colin Bell

Dave Bliss

Dan Brenner

Army Brescia

Andrew Brown

Joe Burpoe

Dave Delaney

Rich Galina

Phil Groden

Kyle Harris

Mike Johnson

Dave Kelly

Paul Kenline

Corey Kennedy

Tim Koes

Shaun Laughlin

John Lechner

Zach Levek

Jake Mainville

Eli Markos

Bryan McKorkle

Shawn Monahan

Rich Murray

Pat Nolan

Steve Patch

Jon Razzano

Dan Sanderson

Ryan Selak

Mike Sexhaur

Mike Siler

Casey Simmons

Duane So

Nick St. Germain

Rob Stabile

Mark Story

Matt Sutton

Jake Vuolo

Bill Walter

John Wilson

The Syracuse Women’s Alumnae have altered their long history of attending the tournament and have entered a team into the only women’s bracket. The girls will compete against top touring sides for a chance at their first Sunday bowl game. Contact Kristin Sutton (sutton.kristin.a@gmail.com) for more information on the SU Women’s Rugby Alumnae Can-Am Rugby team.

The end of 2011 marked the end of the term for SURAA Officers and Board of Directors. Thank you for the time and effort spent by the previous committee. Our newly elected Officers and Board of Directors are:

President

Barry Glickstein

Vice President

Dan Sanderson

Treasurer

Mark Lowery

Secretary

Greg Fehrman

Board of Directors

Bob Wilson

John Mauro

Matt Sutton

Dylan Desimone

Additionally SURAA has updated the website to make friendlier for your use and capable to be used as a tool for both the committee and the members. Please periodically visit www.surugbyalumni.com. Use the Alumni Database entry form for any updates to your contact information.

2012 Fundraising Campaign

In case you do not follow college rugby as closely as you did while in school, under the leadership of USA rugby, the league structure and level of competition is constantly changing. Competition continues to grow and the commitment of our players is required to grow in order to match this growth. Unfortunately there are few sources of income for the team and the money coming to the club has not been able to match the amount that is required for this growth. This is why alumni support is increasingly important. It shows the University that there is a following of dedicated alumni that want to see the team excel and these alumni are willing to support the student activities to ease the burden on our players and coaches. This support will help foster a growing bond between the SURFC and Syracuse University.

Last year we launched an Alumni Support Foundation so that we could provide financial support to the SURFC. We agreed to conduct our fund drive at the beginning of each calendar year, unless a special need arises. Last year we received just over $3000 in contributions from 20 alumni and friends, including one very generous gift of $1,500. So far, $ 2,150 has been given to the team for equipment, coaching expenses and materials for the portable goalposts used at the alumni game. This was greatly appreciated and will help to ensure the continued success and survival of the club that meant so much to all of us.

Although late with our message this year, we have been challenged to raise $4,000 by an anonymous donor who will provide an additional $2,000 if we meet this challenge. We are suggesting levels of $50, $75, $100, or whatever you choose to give. If you would like to continue your support, or become a new supporter, please send your check made out to the SURAA and send to Mark Lowery (see address below) or use PayPal on the new website www.surugbyalumni.com.

SURAA c/o Mark Lowery

262 Westbrook Hills Drive

Syracuse 13215

Donations are welcome year round; however our goal is to have all 2012 donations received by June 8th. In order to further secure the infrastructure of the club we love, we need to continue to step our game up and every little bit helps!

2011 Fall Alumni Game

Alumni once again gathered to enjoy the 2011 Fall Alumni Game. Play at Skytop Field on SU’s South Campus the game was once again a success. Powerful forward play and few mistakes were too much for the inexperience of young college players. Both teams met enjoyed the post match ski lodge experience at the Inn Complete with food, drink and song. The students will surely gather all skills possible and strive for success next fall.

2012 SURAA at Can-Am Saranac Lake

Once again we have a team entered in the social division of the Can-Am Rugby Tournament at Saranac Lake, NY. For those who have not attended this tournament, hundreds of rugby minds fill the streets of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid from July 27-29. There are opportunities for players from age 6 to the 50+ division. The SURAA team is typically made up of current students and alumni of various ages. If you are interested in participating then please contact Matt Sutton at msutton52@gmail.com. Note that the Women Alumnae of SU are entering a team for the first year. Please contact Kristin Sutton at sutton.kristin.a@gmail.com for more information on joining this team.

2012 SURFC Scotland Tour

Thursday 3/8/2012 – The SURFC Tour party of 24 players, two Coaches and a Team Doctor departed from Newark International Airport for a ten day five game tour of Scotland. The tour included stays in Edinburgh and Glasgow, visits to several universities, Lockerbie, Murrayfield(the home of the Scottish RFU) and also training with a professional Club, Glasgow Warriors courtesy of SU Alum Nathan Bombrys, who is currently their Managing Director. The team trained six times a week in the gym, in Manley Field House, in the weight room and on the road (no snow) in preparation for the tour and the Spring Schedule.

Other activities were an impromptu tour of the Innis and Gunn Brewery and a social with the Ladies Swim team from Edinburgh University and the Female Culture Club from the University of Glasgow.

We are currently taking bookings for our next tour two years hence to Spain and the South of France.

Another year has gone by and the SURAA is alive and well. Last year we launched an Alumni Support Foundation so that we could provide financial support to the SURFC. We agreed to conduct our fund drive at the beginning of each calendar year, unless a special need arises.

If you would like to continue your support, or become a new supporter, please send your check made out to the SURAA to Mark Lowery, 262 Westbrook Hills Drive, Syracuse 13215, or use PayPal on the new website www.surugbyalumni.com. We are suggesting levels of $50, $75, $100, or whatever you choose to give.

Last year we received just over $3000 in contributions from 20 alumni and friends, including one very generous gift of $1,500. So far, $ 2,150 has been given to the team for equipment, coaching expenses and materials for the portable goalposts used at the alumni game. This was greatly appreciated and will help to ensure the continued success and survival of the club that meant so much to all of us.

Donations are welcome year round; however our goal is to have all 2012 donations received by the end of the Spring Semester so we can coordinate next year’s budget with the current clubs officers before they leave for the summer. Please mark Friday, May 11th on your calendars as the "deadline" for donations. In order to further secure the infrastructure of the club we love, we need to continue to step our game up and every little bit helps! Thank you to all those who contributed last year, we raised just over $3000 and we're hoping to surpass that total this year and continue to grow every year.

For the first year, the Syracuse University Alumni Association entered a select side team in the 2009 Can-Am Rugby Tournament in Saranac Lake, NY. This 100+ team tournament filled the streets of Saranac Lake and Lake Placid New York with rugby men, women, young boys and old boys. The team was entered into the Men’s Social/Alumni division, the largest of the tournament. The player pool included current SU ruggers, SU Alumni and a few welcome rugby whores to make up for traveling light. Games started early Saturday and finished with the finals on Sunday.

This SU team took the field for their first match Saturday morning Vs. Hudson Valley RFC. Traveling shorthanded, SU welcomed the assistance of whores from North Jersey and the Buffalo Rugby Club. This first match went all in SU’s favor with a shut-out victory of 29-0.

The second match of the day brought the select side well matched against a Rutland Roosters Rugby Club. Rutland came out on top in the first half with a 7-5 lead however SU made the only points a penalty kick in the second half to get the 8-7 win. The Syracuse Chargers were a big help in this match as several of the earlier rugby whores were unavailable.

The final match of the day brought the undefeated SU select side against the earlier friends, an also undefeated North Jersey Rugby Club. This match would determine the winner of the bracket and the team to play at 9:00am Sunday. Again assistance was provided by the Syracuse Chargers but lost from North Jersey including SU Alumni Andrew Brown captaining the North Jersey side. The game capped off a long hard hitting day. Injuries crippled the SU team early in the second half removing Marco Camacho with a knee injury and Matt Sutton with an ankle sprain. North Jersey prevailed 26-10.

The rugby games were over and we needed a well deserved distraction from the pain. A party was hosted by the Syracuse Women’s Rugby team and Greg Fehrman with the SUWRFC. The party, previously hosted by Syracuse Old Boys at the Hotel Saranac, was in its first year at the new location Captain Cooks Bar and Grill. A great turnout by Syracuse Chargers, Syracuse Old Boys, SU Select team, Syracuse Women and SUWRFC Alumni allowed us all to enjoy a fantastic party with a large group of friends. Some of the more fortunate left with raffle prizes including t-shirts, grill equipment, rugby jerseys and even a blow up doll named Harold.

We look forward to making the Can-Am rugby tournament an annual event for an SU Alumni team. Please keep in touch through the SURAA and keep an eye out for future events.

2009 has been a great year for both Syracuse University Rugby Alumni Association (SURAA) and the Syracuse University Rugby Football Club (SURFC).

The SURAA is now official with 501(c)3 tax exempted status through the SU Alumni Association, bank account, board members and officers. Activities started off with a select side team participating in the 2009 CAN-AM Rugby Tournament in Saranac Lake, NY. The 2009 fall alumni game was a success with the Alumni defeating the current team and a great party at the Inn Complete following the games.

The Syracuse University Rugby Alumni Association (SURAA) is formed in an effort to establish and maintain contact for the hundreds of former SURFC members and friends, to promote activities for the benefit of the membership and support men’s rugby at SU. The SURAA is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit corporation that is incorporated as a group of the Syracuse University Alumni Association.

The SURAA proposes to be involved in the following activities:

Preparation and plan for SURFC 40th Celebration

Scholarship programs

Alumni rugby activities including the annual Can-Am Rugby tournament

Development of a Hall of Fame

Organization of community service events

Assistance to rugby program at Syracuse University

If you would like to help out with related activities please let us know and we will assist in any way. (SURFCalumni@gmail.com) Please also join our Facebook group named “Syracuse University Rugby Alumni Association” and visit the website (www.surugbyalumni.com).

For the second year in a row, SU took the #1 seed in Upstate NY. SU defeated Dartmouth 6-5 in November to qualify for the 2010 National Round of 16. This is the first time that SU has qualified and only the 2nd team ever from Upstate NY to qualify.

Another Syracuse University Rugby milestone has come from the women’s team. The SUWRFC finished top of upstate NY and went to the Northeast final 4. Eventually the girls lost a close match Vs UMass 20-12 to decide the 3rd seed from the Northeast to compete in the women’s college round of 16. Currently, 3 women’s alumnae are playing on the National 7’s team. Not only are they a competitive rugby team, the SUWRFC continues to produce great rugby players.

The future is bright for Syracuse Rugby and the possibilities for alumni assistance are endless. A fundraising campaign is soon to kick off as an effort to raise money directly for the team to travel to the 2010 National Round of 16. A formal request for donations is in the process of being written and will go out to the group shortly. The playoff games are played at the University of California, Santa Barbra on April 17 and 18. The club must support 25 players, 3 coaches and an athletic trainer on this trip. Playoff games are scheduled for both Saturday and Sunday. Note that most of the people traveling to the round of 16 have committed to the 2010 tour to Argentina March 11 – March 21 featuring 4 games.

The 40th Anniversary Weekend will be April 30-May 2, 2009. SURFC alumni, friends and family are all invited. A banquet will be held at the Drumlins Grand Ball room on May 1. We require a $50 per plate deposit ASAP for this event. This deposit needs to be in by March 1. We need the deposit to confirm the number of people attending and settle on a final price with Drumlins.

The following is a rough schedule of events for the weekend:

4/30/10 - Friday evening welcome party at the Inn Complete.

5/1/10 - Saturday rugby games throughout the day with a banquet to cap off the festivities.

The SURAA had a good first year of existence as a formal organization in 2010 accomplishing many of its goals. We have a constitution and officers, an address list and a website. Alumni and friends contributed over $10,000 to support the SURFC’s participation in the National Collegiate Championship Final 16 in California, and more than one hundred people attended the 40th Anniversary Celebration in May. An alumni team entered the CanAm Tournament in August, and the annual alumni game in November continued its tradition of success.

Another very important goal is to establish a continuing revenue source above and beyond player dues and the $2500 the team receives from the university club sports budget to help maintain and expand the great legacy of rugby at SU. This additional money could be used to reimburse volunteer coaches for their expenses, an amount that runs into the thousands of dollars, and perhaps even provide them with a stipend for their service. It could also be used to provide uniforms, equipment, and referee and league fees for the four sides in two divisions that the club is currently running. Some alumni groups even make financial assistance available to outstanding high school rugby players who are considering attending SU. Think of how nice it would have been when you were playing if an alumni group was there to provide your club with some financial assistance.

What we are proposing is an “Alumni Support Foundation,” funded by annual contributions, dues if you prefer, to provide alums and friends the opportunity to become continuing financial supporters of the SURFC. This will enable former players and friends to continue to be a part of the club, even though they don’t pull on the orange and blue anymore. It is a chance to give back something to the club that played such an important part in our lives and provided so many lifelong friendships. We all have some really great memories thanks to the SURFC. Contributions are, of course, voluntary and will depend on your financial circumstances. We are suggesting levels of $50, $75, $100 or more. Whatever you choose to give will be kept confidential.

We will conduct our fund drive once at the beginning of each calendar year unless a special need arises such as last year's USA National Round of 16 Playoffs This is our first one, so if you would like to become a founding member of the SURAA Alumni Support Foundation, please send your check made out to the SURAA to Mark Lowery, 262 Westbrook Hills Drive, Syracuse 13215, or use PayPal on the website, http://www.surugbyalumni.com/donation.php.

Thanks,

The Officers and Board Members of the SURAAJohn MauroMatt SuttonDan SandersonMark LoweryGreg FehrmanBarry GlicksteinBob Wilson